It was a long Saturday, but a victorious one as the Bushnell/West Prairie baseball team walked off the home field with a pair of wins, topping Luther North 10-9 in walk-off fashion and Illini Central 9-4 in a lack of daylight-shortened game.

A months-long drug investigation resulted in the seizure of just over four pounds of marijuana along with cocaine, assorted prescription medication and drug paraphernalia, according to a Macomb Police Department press release.

Macomb's largest employers have headed into a potentially unpredictable year as the state's economic climate and employment have yet to be determined. Two, however, are proceeding forth with new hires in 2015 plans.

A proposal to allow community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees has been put on hold until more information has been gathered, according to Spoon River College Board of Trustees Chairman Dave Maguire.

What do seven walks and five errors add up to?For the Macomb High softball team, it equalled the main ingredients in a 10-5 loss to Quincy High Thursday afternoon at MHS Field. The Lady Bombers dropped to 0-5, while QHS recorded its first victory, improving to 1-2.

The city council personnel committee voted Tuesday to recommend a salary range and job qualifications for the next city administrator, and a timetable for conducting a search.City Administrator Dean Torreson is retiring at the end of the year.

The controversy surrounding the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers standardized test continues to swirl. About 15 students in the Macomb School District chose not to take the test, according to Superintendent Patrick Twomey.

During the high school diamond sports season in the spring, flexibility is a must if at all possible.Wednesday would be a prime example.With field conditions too wet to play at Augusta, the Southeastern vs. South Fulton baseball contest would be moved to Astoria.

A budget letter to the city council warns that Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed cuts in the state's local government distributive fund could cost the city $1,065,000 and would probably cause employee layoffs.

McDonough District Hospital's board of directors this week OK'd a resolution asking state lawmakers not to implement Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed $800 million shaving off Medicaid, as well as to seek alternative methods of budgeting.

Climbing back in the saddle as head coach of the Macomb High softball program, coach Kelly Sears expected his team to have its share of growing pains this season.So far, that has been the case. But there also have been signs of improvement.

Two city residents who appeared before aldermen Monday to protest planned monthly user fees on water and sewer bills were told the charges were demanded by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency if Macomb is to get multi-million dollar loans.

The campaign for 18th district hopefuls was on Saturday, less than a week since Congressman Aaron Schock announced his resignation amid a Department of Justice investigation into allegation of misspending.

A newspaper opinion or editorial page is a thing of relative intrigue. The press' role in a democracy is eminent — in fact, that's why a lot of us get into this industry. But often, with limited staffing and resources what they are, we don't take into account how *that page* could be utilized to fulfill our role as an informer to...

The Justice Department is investigating the congressional expenses and business deals of Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock, and FBI agents have begun issuing subpoenas to witnesses, a person familiar with the case told The Associated Press on Friday.

Nearly a year after the Illinois Department of Natural Resources denied Springfield Coal a permit renewal on a mine located south of Industry, the company was in Schuyler County Court this week for a hearing on its request for the release of bond money paid to ensure reclamation work on the property.

West Prairie School District is planning to cut $300,000 in expenses from the 2015-16 school year budget. Given the fiscal uncertainty at the state level, reducing expenditures is the best course of action for the district, according Superintendent Jonathan Heerboth.

Members of the city's McDonough County Public Transportation Committee were told Friday that ridership on city bus routes was at a four-month high, averaging 959 passengers per day. Total city routes had their highest daily ridership, 1,246 people, in September, 2013.

The McDonough County Health Department recently bought into GovPayNet, for debit and credit card transactions. Now, after a few "kinks" have been squared away, the board of health discussed the details of the machine at its meeting on March 11.

The Bushnell swimming pool is located in the VFW Park, which is owned by the Bushnell Park District. But for the 55 years of the pool's existence, no park district funds have been set aside for maintenance costs.

Presidents of three state public universities told lawmakers Thursday that GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposal to cut higher education funding by nearly $400 million would lead to significant setbacks at campuses that would reverberate for years.

Robin Ribling was sworn into a vacant trustee position at Monday's Good Hope board meeting.The chair has been vacant for six months, after Jeff Schultz resigned for unknown reasons, according to Village President John Taft.

A new local group under the YMCA of McDonough County's umbrella is hoped to be a newfound vantage point for veterans' rapports and resources, according to the individual who got the organization's wheels spinning.